Did you know that Stack’s Bowers Galleries Spring 2022 Showcase Auction will contain the elusive 1861-S Paquet Reverse Liberty Head double eagle? An issue that is unknown in Mint State, the featured 1861-S Paquet $20 is graded AU-53 by PCGS. ?
The Paquet Reverse can be hard to distinguish by an untrained eye. A defining feature is the tall and thin logotype style he preferred, as compared to the rather squat font employed by Chief Engraver James Barton Longacre. To illustrate this difference, we turn our attention to the shape of the O in the word OF, as well as the interior of the D following TWENTY. The Longacre version will have ample space within each letter, while the Paquet letters will have long, narrow counter (or open space within a letter). The final factor to consider is the halo of stars above the eagle. On Paquet’s version, the stars do not touch the rays. The stars on Longacre’s reverse overlap the rays significantly.
We are excited to sell this rare double eagle our Spring 2022 Auction, and we expect to see significant bidding activity on a rarely encountered piece.
